07/15/2026
Jim Donohoe, our New Plant Development Specialist, is responsible for curating the office landscape and arboretum collection. A few years ago, we began discussing ways to improve our plant labeling system.
Our original plan was to continue using printed vinyl labels mounted to stainless steel stakes, designed and fabricated by our Hood Acres shop team. They were functional, but the collection deserved something more permanent and professional. Jim advocated for black anodized aluminum labels, though the cost of outsourcing them proved difficult to justify.
Fortunately, our Marketing Director, Jeff Lafrenz, encouraged management to consider producing them in-house. That led to the purchase of a laser engraver, along with the creation of a custom template and jig that allows us to efficiently produce multiple labels ourselves.
The finished labels exceeded expectations. Each includes the plant name, mature size, USDA hardiness zone, year planted, and a QR code linking directly to the tree on our website’s searchable database.
This project brought together Marketing, Hood Acres Shop, Inventory, and New Plant Development, resulting in durable professional labels that will serve our arboretum for years.
